...Wake up... I have good news, Your Highness and Honorable Commandant!
Gradually awaking, you search for the source of the excited voice. Looking down, you find a miniature hologram of the black swan butler, no bigger than a cup, perched on your knees.
Hmm...
The girl resting on your shoulder stirs, her eyelashes fluttering as she looks up. Faint red marks from clothing creases linger on her cheek. As she rises, she instinctively keeps your arm nestled in her embrace.
[player name]... What's going on...
It's the missing white swan fairies! They've sent a messenger!
Liv becomes fully alert instantly at these words.
Where is this messenger?
At the front entrance! I-it refuses to come inside!
Hey! I won't pull you anymore... Stop hitting me on the head!
The miniature Othilde on your knee vanishes with a "poof."
She couldn't be arguing with the messenger, could she...? We should probably go check on her.
Palace Entrance
Snow Globe
Palace Entrance, Snow Globe
......
Hm...
Othilde hides behind Liv's skirt, nodding reluctantly while her eyes remain fixed in a sulky glare at something floating by the doorway—
A broom.
A small broom made of bundled white feathers, adorned with a pink ribbon and a small lamb emblem. Atop its handle is a single feather fluttering in the breeze, which waves in response to your question.
Hello? My dear messenger, do you have any news for us?
The magical broom seems to act like a human, letting out a violent sneeze before shaking loose a feather of a different color that drifts toward Liv on its own.
As the silver-haired girl takes the feather, she freezes for a few seconds, her mind seemingly drifting to another realm, before quickly snapping back to reality.
It's the white swans' telepathic magic.
They are indeed imprisoned by the Red Sorcerer, but the two seals we've broken have successfully weakened the sorcerer's power. This message was secretly sent while they were in a thunderous rage.
The message also says that what seals away the [Wish of Union] is "an impossible challenge."
Its trigger is hidden underneath the frozen lake, making it nearly imperceptible to the naked eye. That's why they've sent us a guide.
While pondering the message, you suddenly feel something poking the back of your knee.
You look back and realize it is the broom. Seeing that you haven't budged, it droops the feather on its head, then zips behind Liv's back and nudges her forward.
Are you the guide they mentioned, my dear messenger?
The broom hops onto the snow in front of you two, its tail whirling through the powder to carve out two large words: "Follow me".
Alright, alright, we'll follow you right away.
Hearing this, the unusual guide wiggles with satisfaction before taking off and leading the way toward the frozen lake.
What's it so proud about?! Hmph, I'm not going to stoop to its level when the palace isn't even fully cleaned yet.
The silver-haired girl can't help but smile as she watches her butler stride away. Her lips still curl with amusement as you two hurry to catch up with the broom.
The short, plump white figure dashes back and forth across the vast frozen surface, sweeping here and brushing there, searching with remarkable dedication.
Its stubborn, anxious temperament... feels familiar.
It reminds me of Bell, the sheep I used to take care of.
Back then, Bell would stubbornly run out into the snow during winter and dig through the snowdrifts for tender grass, even if I had prepared the finest hay. It wouldn't give up until its face was completely covered in snow.
Did you notice? The little lamb emblem on its bow seems to smile when it's happy.
The subject of your conversation suddenly leaps three feet into the air nearby, drawing your attention back to it.
The ice near the broom has been swept to the point that it glistens, and the water beneath seems so deep and dark that you can't see the bottom. A line of text shimmers faintly on its surface like an etched inscription.
It says... "Wishes and obsessions are two sides of the same coin."
As she reads the words, thick fog suddenly rises from the lake's surface, completely obscuring your surroundings.
The next moment, the fog rolls away under your vigilant gaze, strangely reminiscent of curtains opening and closing during scene changes in a theater.
Ten snow mounds abruptly materialize out of nowhere on the ice and surround Liv and you, each about one and a half person tall.
The words have changed.
"These pearls retrieved from the depths of your memory are your priceless treasures."
"Choose the moment you most wish to spend with the commandant, and the [Wish of Union] will come true."
Whoosh—the snow mounds begin to tremble, and their outer layers slide off in unison onto the ice below.
Huh... W-what are these...?!
—Ten ice sculptures reveal themselves. Specifically, ten unmistakable sculptures of you, each with different expressions in familiar scenarios, carved with lifelike detail.
Instead of the most impactful moments, they have captured your most natural, everyday self.
You watch as Liv's face gradually turns crimson, the blush spreading from her cheeks all the way to the tips of her ears.
The young girl hides her burning cheeks behind her hands, yet her feelings, nurtured over countless days, bloom vividly amidst the ice and snow.
She nods while covering her face, then slowly lowers her hands, her voice trembling slightly.
...Y-yes.
She remains honest even in her embarrassment. After a moment to collect herself, she finally regains her ability to form sentences.
This sculpture here shows you asleep on the lounge sofa. Your terminal's showing tactical plans you secretly brought back to work on after hours.
After covering you with a blanket, I quietly sat beside you for a while.
I thought to myself: If only you could get a few more hours of sleep... If only I could handle more tasks for you... If only days were 36 hours long, or if only the Punishing Virus would vanish overnight...
I'm sure what I felt then was the same as what you feel every time you welcome me back after a challenging mission.
We both understand why we need to work so hard. You'll probably keep pushing yourself, but remember, I'll always have a warm blanket ready for you.
Liv glances at another sculpture nearby, a hint of playfulness appearing at the corners of her lips.
That's from the year you were wrapping my Activation Date present.
You were so focused that you didn't even notice when I placed a glass of water on the table behind you.
I was actually really curious and wanted to sneak a peek at what the gift was. But in the end, I saved the surprise for the actual day.
Liv smiles and shakes her head.
The sparkle in your eye when you handed me the present was worth every moment of waiting.
Her posture gradually relaxes as she approaches the other sculptures, walking alongside you while reminiscing about the past.
Like browsing through a three-dimensional photo album together, the two of you savor these simple yet precious moments through your conversations.
After reviewing the tenth sculpture, you finally reach the blank pages of a photo album. Still wanting more, you notice Liv standing in place with a hint of melancholy.
Is that... all there is...?
Understanding suddenly dawns on Liv. Deep in thought, she looks around at the ten sculptures before turning to face you directly, folding her hands in front of her and taking a deep breath.
I understand why this is an "impossible challenge" now. It's because none of these capture the moments I truly wish to spend with you.
These are all memories of the past. My wishes may grow from these memories, but they're aimed toward the future.
The dawn will come after a night of falling asleep in each other's arms, and you will look adorable when the morning light wakes you.
There may be missions afterward, or there may not. We will do what we want together during our free time, and your focused expression will bring me peace during busy moments.
We will cultivate more beautiful flowers in Babylonia's greenhouses, and we will visit so many places on Earth we've never been to before. The world will unfold before us like a tapestry...
The moments I want to spend with you most are yet to come, in all the days that haven't arrived.
She isn't making wishes or promises, but simply expressing her feelings without reservation. Like ice melting into water, the surrounding sculptures silently transform into streams of light and flow toward the two of you.
Liv and you extend your arms toward each other, allowing the streams of light to converge into a soft pink orb where your hands meet... The [Wish of Union] is released from its seal.
The broom rushes toward you, and the small lamb emblem on it beams brightly at Liv.
Umm... It's saying that we can unfreeze the frozen lake if we scatter our wish across it.
Before you can finish your thought, your guide's short handle extends several times its length with a whoosh, and it hovers horizontally before you both at a height where you can sit.
The broom nudges the side of your leg, as if urging you to hurry up.
Thank you.
Holding the glowing orb, you and Liv sit sideways on the magical broom. She lowers her head and lovingly strokes the long feather at the top of the handle.
Let's fly.
The little lamb's bell chimes with a clear, tinkling sound as it carries you both smoothly and steadily into the sky.
Liv reaches into the orb of light that holds her wish and scoops out a handful of luminous particles. Slowly opening her fingers, she lets the wind carry them away like a silent, brilliant rainfall.
Following her example, you share your wish as well. The ice on the lake's surface melts away wherever the particles pass, and ripples begin to form once again.
Look, [player name], the trail our broom leaves behind looks just like the tail of a shooting star.
To those watching from the ground, a shooting star is fleeting, and thus melancholic. But for the star itself, its journey may have only just begun.
Liv cups the glowing particles in front of her face and, just like blowing on a dandelion, gently blows across her palm.
Her wish scatters in a shimmering cascade, enveloping you in an embrace of light.
As the last handful of wishes returns to the world, the broom carries you both in a low glide over the lake's clear and rippling surface before swooping gently toward the shore to land.
Now that all three seals have been broken, shall we go speak with Othilde about renovating the palace and holding a ball?
Bzzz—
The air by the lakeside seems to freeze instantly. A dark red, faceless shadow materializes silently before you both like ink dropped into clear water.
Hatred, anguish, terror... Just looking at the entity feels like being struck by waves of negative emotions so pure and intense they leave you gasping for air.
Liv darts forward and positions herself protectively in front of you, while her lotus wheel materializes around her, ready for combat.
...The Red Sorcerer!
